Public service is always impressive, a building block of democracy. It requires giving of yourself for the public good. In wake of the horrific murder of David Amess, Conservative MP for Southend West, there is a certain poignancy that the vicious attack happened at his constituency surgery, one of those non-glamorous rituals of MPs' lives, where politicians make themselves physically available to voters; where they serve their public.

Many across society are vocally outraged in condemning this brutal, nihilistic killing. yet, recently, when public servants – perhaps frontline staff with less profile than elected politicians – have faced demonstrable physical threats – too often we stay silent.